Indian Springs Park's Webbed Friends

For anyone who's taken a stroll along the Brazos, this is what you'll see on most any day. Ducks and geese lounging around in the shrubs or on the walkway exhibiting the bravado that this land belongs to them only. Some are quiet and unassuming and others are quite loud and obnoxious. These photos were taken about two weeks ago. Those geese are agressively rude and the ducks, well, you take a look for yourself. It was fun videotaping the ones in the river. I'll upload a video or two when time allows.

The Evolution of Dance

I found this video through my sister. This guy is good!

Pictures around Waco

Signs from God

I've seen at least one of these on Bellmead Drive heading into town before you get to Sams Club. A friend emailed this over and I wanted it on my blog. So here it is.

A Bug by my door

He was creepy.

Citibank Identity Theft Commercial- Thelma and Norma

I love this commercial! I have to have access to it when I want to laugh!!

Yes or No?

What's your answer?

What can Make You White as Snow?

See my artwork and find out the answer.

Cool farm animals in Bellmead, Tx

I just love animals. Cool, huh?

Waco, Tx makes National News Concerning Jesse Washington Lynching

Picture of the mural with the hanging tree with noose between the two buildings.









In Waco, a Push To Atone for The Region's Lynch-Mob Past
By Sylvia Moreno
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 26, 2006;

WACO, Tex. -- Two memorials stand on the site of one of the most notorious incidents in the history of this central Texas city. One commemorates the 114 lives lost in the tornado of 1953; the other, the 1897 shootout between a newspaper editor and a local judge who offended the journalist's Baptist sensibilities.
But Heritage Square, as the downtown plaza is known, is also where 17-year-old Jesse Washington was tortured and lynched on May 15, 1916. The act of mob violence was so gruesome that it was dubbed the "Waco Horror" in Texas newspapers. National and European periodicals noted the event of a black farmhand dragged through city streets, mutilated, burned alive and lynched outside City Hall before the mayor, the police chief and 15,000 cheering townspeople.
Ninety years later, despite some opposition, a group of Waco residents and the city's white business establishment have decided it is time to make amends not only for Washington's lynching but also for "the history of mob violence in Central Texas."
"The practice of lynching profoundly dehumanized not only victims of lynching, but also its perpetrators and acquiescent by-standers," reads a resolution adopted this week by the city's Lynching Issue Task Force. "Whereas by healing the wounds of our shameful legacy through acknowledgment and apology, Waco and McLennan County can end our documented history of silence," it continues, in part.
A city of 125,000 whose neighbor to the west is President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Waco has a current population that is half white and about a quarter black. It now joins communities across the United States that are confronting traumatic racial histories. With legacies of lynchings, deadly race riots or killings of civil rights workers gone unpunished, these cities are trying to comprehend and assuage the lingering impact of such violence.
"This is something that's hung over my family for years," said Nona Baker, the 60-year-old great-niece of Sank Majors, a 20-year-old black man who was hanged by a white lynch mob from one of Waco's bridges in 1905. "I would like to have had a little memorial service down at that bridge and maybe a plaque. But most of all, I would like an apology."
Often led by black elected officials, a younger generation of whites who grew up in a post-segregation society and core civil rights activists, racial reconciliation groups have been established in a number of U.S. cities confronting their violent past. They include Duluth, Minn., where three black men were lynched on one day in June 1920, and Greensboro, N.C., where a South African-style truth and reconciliation commission is examining the November 1979 killings of five labor organizers by Klansmen and American Nazi Party members.
Racial reconciliation has taken various forms. A decade ago, survivors of the 1923 massacre of the black community of Rosewood, Fla., received state-funded reparations. In Virginia, special state scholarships have been offered to African Americans denied education in the 1950s and 1960s when some schools closed rather than desegregate. Georgia and Tennessee have developed a civil rights and slavery curriculum for their public schools. The "Call to Justice" for the 1964 killings of three civil rights workers near Philadelphia, Miss., included an official apology to the victims' families.
"It's these measured steps that are getting us further down the road" toward racial rapprochement, said Susan M. Glisson, director of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi. "Each community has to decide for itself what to do. . . . There's no one answer."
The lynching of Washington is one of 500 recorded in Texas from 1880 to 1930, a period with almost 4,700 lynchings nationwide. The Washington case began with the murder of Lucy Fryer, a white woman living with her farmer husband in Robinson, a small community on Waco's southern edge. She was found bludgeoned and Washington, who worked the Fryers' cotton farm, allegedly confessed to the killing. Illiterate and believed to be mentally retarded, the 17-year-old signed a confession with an X and led authorities to the presumed weapon, a blacksmith's hammer.
To stave off an angry mob that gathered when the teenager was arrested, authorities promised a quick resolution to the case. Washington was indicted in 30 minutes. Four days later, he received an hour-long trial in the McLennan County Courthouse. The jury deliberated four minutes and found him guilty of murder.
Just as the judge was to pronounce a death sentence, about 1,500 angry spectators jamming the courtroom pounced on Washington. They dragged him outside, where the crowd ripped off his clothes, pulled him through the streets and delivered him to a big tree outside City Hall. He was hanged by a chain, mutilated, doused with coal oil and lowered several times into a caldron of flames as the police chief and mayor watched from the third floor of City Hall. Thousands of white men -- reportedly half the city's population of 30,000 -- cheered.
The event was well documented in print and photographs, including by W.E.B. DuBois in a special July 1916 supplement to the Crisis, an NAACP magazine. That article and the subsequent crusade by the NAACP led to the passage of federal anti-lynching legislation.
More recently, the Washington lynching was raised anew in two books. Published last year was "The First Waco Horror: The Lynching of Jesse Washington and the Rise of the NAACP" by Houston writer Patricia Bernstein. In 2004, history professor William D. Carrigan of Rowan University in New Jersey published "The Making of a Lynching Culture: Violence and Vigilantism in Central Texas 1836-1916," in which he called the killing "a defining moment in the history of racial violence in the United States."
The books and attendant publicity led the Waco Chamber of Commerce to include in its 2005 strategic economic development plan a goal to change perceptions of the city specifically by addressing the Washington lynching. The plan recommends commemorating the event "in a manner that will ease the long-standing tensions in the community connected to the lynching."
Previous attempts to commemorate Washington's lynching were unsuccessful. After seeing a picture of the lynching in 1995 at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Waco City Council member Lawrence E. Johnson read articles about the event into the city record during his swearing-in ceremony. Vague discussion about a memorial faded, said Johnson, who is black and now practices law in Waco.
Lester Gibson, a commissioner in McLennan County, introduced the subject of a memorial in 2002 when murals depicting the history of Waco were being restored. The 16-panel series is mounted in the rotunda of the courthouse from where Washington was dragged and includes a depiction of a tree with a noose between the courthouse and City Hall. It is titled "Hanging Tree."
Gibson, who also is black, wanted to have the tree painted over or the panel removed. If not, he wanted text added to the "Hanging Tree" plaque commemorating the Washington lynching. He also introduced a resolution in which the commissioners would acknowledge the lynching, "offer an _expression of regret" and "with conciliatory atonement admonish the residents of Waco, McLennan County, Texas, to reflect on this profound travesty of justice." His resolution was greeted with silence and received no second.
"If we had to make a halfhearted apology and not really, truly mean it, that wouldn't mean anything to me," said County Commissioner Ray Meadows, who is white. "Quite honestly, it'd be hard for me to do that, not having had a hand in it or knowing anything about it. And what is that saying to [the Fryer] family? That it was okay to rape and murder that lady?"
A distant relative of Lucy Fryer attended a task force meeting in late March, urging the group to drop any talk of a memorial or resolution specific to Washington. "That incident, the lynching, was horrendous, but so was the rape and murder of Lucy Fryer. There was another victim here," said Patsy Kilgore, who is white and a niece by marriage of Fryer's grandson. "We all need to be one, but I don't think this is the way to do it."
Among participants who disagreed was Michael Babers, who is black. "Waco has a chance now to redeem herself and show that she's strong enough to deal with her demons. While I feel very sympathetic to the lady that was killed, what kind of justice was really served? We need to deal with it to get on."
The Lynching Issue Task Force will present the resolution adopted this week to Waco's mayor and City Council and to the McLennan County Commission next month and ask each official to sign it. On May 15, 90 years to the day Washington was dragged to his death, task force members will read the resolution on the courthouse steps.
Jo Welter, a white board member of Waco's Community Race Relations Coalition and an organizer of the lynching task force, said the group hopes the public resolution will mark the start of a journey toward racial reconciliation:
"When you have a deep enough infection and you just open it up a little bit and let air get to it to heal over, it will come back. It will keep coming back until you open it up and you let it heal from the inside out."
© 2006 The Washington Post Company

Cast your vote on the Trib's Poll about the Lynching Resolution

Cameron Park Waco, Tx

Status Update from Sept 23rd to Oct 3rd

Status Update as of October 3rd at 1:30pm fromWaco-McLennan County Emergency Management
Today's Update is being delivered one hour earlier.As of this update the DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) FL-4 fromFlorida is in the demob process and will be moving to Port Arthur, TX toaugment the staff at Christus St. Mary Hospital. All shelterees with medicalissues have been relocated to VA medical facilities in Waco and Marlin. Theremaining five are being relocated to a local hotel. It is expected thatthe Wal-Mart facility will be shut down soon but no word has been given asof this update.On Sunday, a number of evacuees left the Waco area or took advantage ofother housing options provided by FEMA and the Red Cross. Of the 57 peoplethat were transferred from the Waco Convention Center to the Bledsoe-MillerRecreation Center on Sunday afternoon, only 38 remain in the City operatedshelter.School Update: As of close of school Friday, Region Connally had 3, LaVegahad 2, Midway had 25, Robinson had 2, Waco ISD had 77.The City continues to assist evacuees return to their homes as coastalcities re-open. Many evacuees are relocating to facilities closer to theirhome.The American Red Cross is assisting Rita evacuees receive help gettingcloser to their home by providing them cash vouchers that can help them buygas and other things needed to move out of shelters and in to more permanenthousing.Any other church or non-profit agency providing temporary sheltering ofhurricane evacuees who would like to share their information and needs,please email Larryh@ci.waco.tx.us.

Status Update as of October 2nd at 2:30pm fromWaco-McLennan County Emergency Management
Waco-McLennan County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) continues on 24 houroperation with Health District and EOC coordinators available throughout thenight. As of this update the Wal-Mart shelter is transferring all but a fewpatients to the Waco and Marlin VA Hospitals. Some are being moved back tothe Houston area. At this time they have not received any informationregarding the potential of more evacuees coming to the Waco location. Thisspecial needs shelter is being operated by the State Operation Center andstaffed by a 32 member DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) from Florida.VA officials contacted on Sunday did not indicate any change in the numberof people they had reported previously however the report from the Wal-Martshelter indicated a portion of their Saturday total of 159 were sent to thetwo VA hospital locations. The VA hospital system and the US Public HealthServices are providing staffing.The 83 people that have been at the Waco Convention Center are beingtransferred to the Bledsoe-Miller Recreation Center today (Sunday) at2:30pm. The Convention Center will no longer be used a temporary shelter.The City continues to assist evacuees return to their homes as coastalcities re-open. Many evacuees are relocating to facilities closer to theirhome.Director of The Governor's Division of Emergency Management personallycontacted the Waco McLennan County Emergency Management office to expresshis thanks for all the hard work, and the speed in which we were able tospin up the old Wal-Mart store for shelter operations. He was impressed withthe way the operation was handled and how quickly things happen. Also theDMAT federal team (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) has expressedappreciation for the effort. They noted that in their experience it oftentakes days to get done what Waco was able to pull off in hours.The American Red Cross is assisting Rita evacuees receive help gettingcloser to their home by providing them cash vouchers that can help them buygas and other things needed to move out of shelters and in to more permanenthousing.If an evacuee lived in one of the nine FEMA disaster area counties(Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, orTyler) and is displaced from their home, those persons may be eligible tostay in a hotel room if they personally contact FEMA for authorization.
Status Update as of October 1st at 2:30pm fromWaco-McLennan County Emergency Management
Waco-McLennan County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) continues on 24 houroperation with Health District and EOC coordinators available throughout thenight. As of this update the total number of people at the Wal-Mart shelter is 159.Some of those will be transferred to the VA later this afternoon. Thespecial needs shelter is being operated by the State Operation Center andstaffed by a 32 member DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) from Florida.After being registered and checked, those with more medical needs are beingtaken to the Waco VA Hospital. Others that are more ambulatory are going tothe Marling VA. VA officials indicated that they are caring for 110 people at the Waco VAand 93 at the Marlin location. The VA hospital system and the US PublicHealth Services are providing staffing.The Waco Convention Center has 87 evacuees being sheltered. The City continues to assist evacuees return to their homes as coastalcities re-open. Many evacuees are relocating to facilities closer to theirhome.The American Red Cross is assisting Rita evacuees receive help gettingcloser to their home by providing them cash vouchers that can help them buygas and other things needed to move out of shelters and in to more permanenthousing.If an evacuee lived in one of the nine FEMA disaster area counties(Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, orTyler) and is displaced from their home, those persons may be eligible tostay in a hotel room if they personally contact FEMA for authorization.
Status Update as of September 30th at 2:30pm fromWaco-McLennan County Emergency Management
Waco-McLennan County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) continues on 24 houroperation with Health District and EOC coordinators available throughout thenight. Ten buses from San Antonio and Nacogdoches arrived at the old Wal-MartSpecial Needs shelter on Valley Mills drive Thursday around 9:30pm bringing430 people with varying needs. Some had special needs and others were familymembers and caregivers. 137 were treated for various medical conditions.As of this update the total number of people at the Wal-Mart shelter is 273.The special needs shelter is being operated by the State Operation Centerand staffed by a 32 member DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) fromFlorida. After being registered and checked, those with more medical needswere taken to the Waco VA Hospital. Others that are more ambulatory aregoing to the Marling VA. They expect another 120 more to possibly arrivelater this afternoon (Friday). The VA officials indicated that on Thursday they had received 48 patientsand 19 family members. We have not received an updated count from the VA asof this update. The VA hospital system and the US Public Health Services areproviding staffing.The Waco Convention Center has 80 evacuees being sheltered. The City continues to assist evacuees return to their homes as coastalcities re-open. Many evacuees are relocating to facilities closer to theirhome.The American Red Cross is assisting Rita evacuees receive help gettingcloser to their home by providing them cash vouchers that can help them buygas and other things needed to move out of shelters and in to more permanenthousing.If an evacuee lived in one of the nine FEMA disaster area counties(Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, orTyler) and is displaced from their home, those persons may be eligible tostay in a hotel room if they personally contact FEMA for authorization. School Report: Waco ISD reports a total of 77 evacuees in their system,Midway has 25 from Katrina and 10 from Rita for a total of 25. Robinsonstill has two. LaVega has two students from Katrina. Connally has three,China Spring has a total of nine.The United Methodist Churches are sponsoring another relief supply drop atthe old Target Store on Highway 6 and Sanger Ave. on Saturday October 1 from9-3 Items will be sent to Baldwin, Louisiana for distribution where it isneeded. Bottled water, health kits (which include 1 hand towel, 1 bathtowel, 1 wash cloth, 1 comb, 1 nail file, 1 bath size soap bar, 1toothbrush, 1 toothpaste, 6 band-aids, Please put these items in a onegallon zip lock bag), shovels, work gloves, brooms, chain saws, mops,cleaning supplies. No cloths or food items except canned food, baby food andsenior supplements.
Status Update as of September 29th at 2:30pm fromWaco-McLennan County Emergency Management
Waco-McLennan County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) continues on 24 houroperation with Health District and EOC coordinators available throughout thenight. The Wal-Mart Special Needs shelter, being operated by the State OperationCenter, had 52 but are transferring 11 to the VA by 2:30pm today. They areexpecting three busses with 103 people to arrive this afternoon. Not surehow many are patients, caregivers or family. VA officials indicate that theFEMA operated special needs shelter at the Waco VA Hospital has not receivedanyone as of this update. The Waco Convention Center has 88 evacuees being sheltered. As more areas of the impacted coastal area are reopened, the City continuesto assist evacuees return to their homes. Many are relocating to facilitiescloser to their home.If an evacuee lived in one of the nine FEMA disaster area counties(Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, orTyler) and is displaced from their home, those persons may be eligible tostay in a hotel room if they personally contact FEMA for authorization. School Update: Waco ISD reports new student enrollments from Rita evacueesfor an overall total of 77 evacuees. Midway indicates they have receivedtwo from Rita for a total of 29. Robinson still has two. LaVega has twostudents from Katrina. Connally has three, China Spring has a total of nine.Texas Youth Commission indicates they have received 200 youth from theBeaumont detention center in their facility in Mart and it appears that theywill not be able to reopen the Beaumont facility in the near future. Theirstaff will be relocating in our area for at least six months. Since theseare state employees, the housing department at TSTC has arranged for them tolease available apartments on their campus and are waving the deposit andminimum one year lease requirement for these individuals.In order to purchase and provide prescription medication to those who havecome into our community that don't have insurance or Medicare, theWaco-McLennan County Public Health District and Family Practice Clinic areaccepting cash donations to pay for these prescriptions. Checks can bemailed to: Waco Family Practice Clinic, 1600 Providence, Waco, Tx 76707.From Waco Christian Fellowship church: They are currently housing 8 Katrinaevacuees and 13 Rita evacuees. Current needs: volunteers (may call772-9768) and perishable items (grocery gift cards seem to work best).
Status Update as of September 28th at 2:30pm fromWaco-McLennan County Emergency Management
Waco-McLennan County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) continues on 24 houroperation with Health District and EOC coordinators available throughout thenight. Mid-afternoon on Tuesday, local Emergency Management was directed to arrangefor and set up a facility to shelter approximately 500 special needspatients that could arrive as early as 7:30pm that evening. When Waco was first contacted by the SOC (State Operations Center forEmergency Management) to establish shelters for Hurricane Rita evacuees lastweek, we identified additional buildings that could be quickly stood up asshelters if needed. Although we did not need the Old Wal-Mart building onValley Mills Drive, the City advised the SOC of its availability. Within 3-4hours City of Waco Staff and representatives of the Waco Medical Communitywere at the site preparing it to be a sanitizing hospital environment. Cleaning staff from both hospitals cleaned air ducts, stripped and sanitizedthe floors, shampooed the carpets. Electricians repaired light fixtures andMechanical contractors and City Facilities staff placed eight of the ten airconditioning units in operation. City Staff transported the hundreds ofleftover cots that were at the Convention Center to the Wal-Mart location.Salvation Army, Red Cross, Medical staff from Waco Public Health, MHMR,Family Practice, Providence and Hillcrest Hospitals were on site setting upand labeling various areas of the building for Registration, Triage,Cardiac, Diabetic, Dehydration, Mental and other types of specialty needs.East Texas Medical Center had 4-5 ambulances standing by to transportpatients needing more advanced care to the hospitals. Store managers from all three Wal-Mart stores were on site responding toneeds. By 9pm Tuesday the facility was ready to receive patients and a system ofregistering, triaging and receiving mass evacuees was in place.Shortly before midnight a Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) and Tx DHSNurses arrived. Shortly after midnight one bus with eleven people from Nacogdoches arrivedand two busses from Beaumont arrived. Three were transported to thehospital, 10-12 others had misc. medical needs that were attended to byDoctors and nurses from Family Practice and local hospitals. As of thisupdate, no new evacuees have arrived at the Wal-Mart Shelter.As more areas of the impacted coastal area are reopened, the City continuesto assist evacuees return to their homes. Many are relocating to facilitiescloser to their home.If an evacuee lived in one of the nine FEMA disaster area counties(Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, orTyler) and is displaced from their home, those persons may be eligible tostay in a hotel room if they personally contact FEMA for authorization. As of this update all evacuees have left the Bledsoe-Miller RecreationCenter special needs shelter. The Convention Center has 100. Immediate Need: In order to purchase and provide prescription medication tothose who have come into our community that don't have insurance orMedicare, the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District and FamilyPractice Clinic are accepting cash donations to pay for these prescriptions.Checks can be mailed to: Waco Family Practice Clinic, 1600 Providence, Waco,Tx 76707.We have not received any information from churches who have been shelteringHurricane Katrina evacuees
From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

FEMA to reimburse religious groups for aid Organizations gave hurricane victims shelter

By Alan Cooperman and Elizabeth Williamson The Washington Post
September 27, 2005

WASHINGTON · After weeks of prodding by Republican legislators and the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Monday that it will use taxpayer money to reimburse churches and other religious organizations that have opened their doors to provide shelter, food and supplies to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

FEMA officials said it would mark the first time that the government has made large-scale payments to religious groups for helping to cope with a domestic natural disaster.

Civil liberties groups called the decision a violation of the traditional boundary between church and state, accusing FEMA of trying to restore its battered reputation by playing to religious
conservatives.

"What really frosts me about all this is, here is an administration that didn't do its job and now is trying to dig itself out by making right-wing groups happy," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive
Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

For churches, synagogues, and mosques that have taken in hurricane survivors, FEMA's decision presents a quandary. Some said they were eager to get the money and had begun tallying their costs, from electric bills to worn carpets. Other said they probably would not apply for the funds, fearing donations will dry up if the public comes to think they were receiving government handouts.

"Volunteer labor is just that: volunteer," said the Rev. Robert E. Reccord, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board.

When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, religious charities rushed in to provide emergency services, often acting more quickly and efficiently than the government. Relief workers in the stricken states estimate that 500,000 people have taken
refuge in facilities run by religious groups.

After the disaster, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and other Republicans said FEMA seemed reluctant to pay church groups. "There are tons of questions about what is reimbursable, what is not reimbursable,” DeLay said Sept. 13, noting that Houston had "500 or 600 churches that took in evacuees, and they would get no reimbursement."

Joe Becker, senior vice president for preparedness and response with
the Red Cross, said he and his staff also urged FEMA to allow reimbursement
of religious groups. Ordinarily, Becker said, churches provide shelter
for the first days after a disaster, then the Red Cross takes over. But in a storm season that has stretched every Red Cross shelter to the breaking point, church buildings must for the first time house evacuees indefinitely.

"I believe it's appropriate for the federal government to assist the faith community because of the scale and scope of the effort," he said.

Lynn disagreed. "I don't think a lot of people realize that a lot of these organizations are actively working to obtain federal funds. That's a strange definition of charity," he said.


Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Status Update as of September 27th at 2:30pm fromWaco-McLennan County Emergency Management
Waco-McLennan County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) continues on 24 houroperation with Health District and EOC coordinators available throughout thenight. As more cities around the Gulf Coast open back up, efforts to assist theremaining evacuees to return to their home are underway. All city shelteredevacuees that have not registered with FEMA are being assisted by city staffby providing them direct access to FEMA's registration website,www.fema.gov. Arrangements are being made to identify and coordinatetransportation needs to get the evacuees to their home, or to relatives orfriends near their home. If an evacuee lived in one of the nine FEMA disaster area counties(Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, orTyler) and is displaced from their home, those persons may be eligible tostay in a hotel room if they personally contact FEMA for authorization. As of this update Bledsoe-Miller Recreation Center has 11 special needsevacuees and the Convention Center has 111. Immediate Need: In order to purchase and provide prescription medication tothose who have come into our community that don't have insurance orMedicare, the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District and FamilyPractice Clinic are accepting cash donations to pay for these prescriptions.Checks can be mailed to: Waco Family Practice Clinic, 1900 Providence, Waco,Tx 76707.We have not received any information from churches who have been shelteringHurricane Katrina evacuees. Many lenders and insurers have implemented deferment policies for policyholders impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Homeowners need to contact theirlender and insurance company to activate these deferments. This is not widely know among the Hurricane Katrina evacuees. The link tothe list of websites is: http://www.acornhousing.org/TEXT/katrinalenders.pdf
Status Update as of September 26th at 2:30pm fromWaco-McLennan County Emergency Management
Waco-McLennan County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) continues on 24 houroperation, however due to the small number of evacuees in the two cityshelters, around the clock staffing has been reduced to a Health Districtrepresentative and EOC coordinator. As of this update Bledsoe-Miller Recreation Center has 17 special needsevacuees and the Convention Center has 127. One evacuee remains in thehospital and one at a local nursing home. The process of demarcation isunderway to sanitize and break down the hundreds of cots purchased andairlifted in by the City earlier in the week. These will be stored forfuture evacuation needs. Other items like towels will be cleaned andproperly stored in sealed drums. It is believed that some of the evacuees from Beaumont and Port Arthur areasmay remain in Waco until Wednesday or later. Some of the remaining evacueeswere brought in by private individuals and dropped off at the ConventionCenter and now have no method of transportation to take them back. Thoseneeds are being addressed by local and state EOC's. In addition to Waco, the City of Woodway established a public shelter intheir jurisdiction and at one time had approximately 200 people in theircommunity center.The Salvation Army is working on plans to transport a busload of people toHouston. Details are not available as of this update.Two evacuees that were being sheltered in the Convention Center wereoriginally evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. They have learned their homehas been completely destroyed. One has already secured a job locally and isworking with FEMA to obtain permanent housing in Waco.City staff are assisting remaining evacuees with cloths washing and otherneeds as they remain in our city.The local American Red Cross and Salvation Army continue to provide food andstaffing by trained volunteers at the two city operated shelters. Areahotels donated 1,500 guest soaps, several hundred shampoos and about 100towels.Waco-McLennan County Public Health District staff continue to monitor andrespond to medical needs at the two remaining shelters. Calls to area churches who were previously sheltering Hurricane Katrinaevacuees and working to place them in permanent housing where not returnedby today's deadline. A status update on that effort will be providedtomorrow or when we receive the information. As of this update, School Enrollment from Hurricane Katrina victims: WacoISD has 67, Midway ISD has 26 and Robinson has two.
Status Update as of September 24th at 2:30pm fromWaco-McLennan County Emergency Management
Waco-McLennan County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) continues on 24 houroperation. Since 8am Saturday morning no new evacuees have come to the WacoConvention Center seeking shelter. As of 8:00am they had 540 people therewith a capacity of 900. As of 8:45am there are 3,477 identified evacueesbeing sheltering in the Waco area but we know there are numerous faith basedand private individuals who are caring for people that have not contactedEmergency Management to report plus an unknown number staying in areahotels.Cell phones have been issued to all city shelters for use by evacuees tomake personal calls.Although Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management encourages all evacueesto be patient and heed the request by Texas Coastal Emergency Management andMayors of various cities to not return at this time, many are leaving localshelters. As of 11:00am 140 had left the Convention Center to start backhome. As people leave the various shelters, people will be moved from SulRoss Recreation Center, and Dewey Recreation Centers Saturday afternoon toconsolidate resources. These centers were selected mainly due to the factthat they do not have shower facilities. The local American Red Cross continues to provide food and staffing bytrained volunteers at all the city operated shelters. The Salvation Army isalso playing a major role in providing for the needs of the evacuees. Cityemployees are assisting the EOC by providing around the clock coordinationand bi-lingual phone response, distribution of needed resources andadministering to the needs of evacuees of all ages.Waco-McLennan County Public Health District staff continue to monitor andrespond to medical needs at the various shelters . Saturday morning doctorsfrom the Family Practice Center and others assessed the specific medicalneeds of evacuees and wrote prescriptions as needed. The Public HealthDistrict assisted in obtaining and administering the prescriptions. Waco's ambulance service, East Texas Medical Center, indicates that theircall load was up by two-thirds. Ten calls had come from various shelters asof 9am Saturday morning.Waco Transit has shuttled evacuees from city shelters that don't have showerfacilities to locations where they do.Countless special needs have been individually addressed by EOC staff asevacuees are in Waco. Green Family Camp in Bruceville reports having 370 evacuees.The Waco area animal shelters are at capacity.Baylor University opened a portion of the Ferrell Center and receivedapproximately 200 overnight evacuees. They have since closed down.It appears that local impact by the storm was much less than previouslyestimated. From 9-1-1- Dispatch: Persons who need to report debris in the road,inoperative traffic signals and other non-emergency occurrences should callthe Waco Police department's main number, 750-7500, NOT 9-1-1. Downed powerlines should be treated as an emergency.Although we are tracking and have a list of many of the Faith Basedorganizations who have stepped forward and are providing temporarysheltering for Hurricane Rita evacuees, we will not attempt to list them.The efforts of ALL who are providing shelter are greatly appreciated and asalways, the true heart of our community has opened its arms to providesupport for those in need.A transcript of this report and all other daily updates along withinformation and other local and national resource information for help arebeing added regularly to the City's web site. By going to www.waco-texas.comyou will find several links for information on the communities efforts andthe nation. Citizen volunteers are encouraged to print out these resourceweb pages to provide to evacuees that they are serving and who do not haveweb access. The city will be happy to provide as many printed copies as maybe needed by calling 750-5636. Anyone who comes into our community that needs sheltering, please call750-5911.

Information regarding the Ferrell Center is wrong. The information we haveis that the Ferrell Center did not ever shelter any overnight evacuees.While they indicated they were ready to shelter up to 250 the few thatappeared were referred to the Convention Center.
A National Emergency Resource Registry website has been established by the Department of Homeland Security for anyone wanting to donate, provide or sell housing, services, transportation, food and personal items for the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. The site is located at http://www.nerr.gov/.
Its function is to help coordinate resources that are needed and resources that may be available from the private and public sectors.
Anita Knight

Good morning: The welfare of survivor families is certainly weighing heavily on all of us and we at Region 12 want to make certain that all school-aged children have a smooth transition to school enrollment and educational services. Attached, please find a document containing frequently asked questions and answers that parents may have as they are discussing educational services for their child/ren. Please let me know if ESC Region 12 can assist you with any dissemination of education information.
Judy Hicks
Director for Accountability Education Service Center Region 12
P.O. Box 23409 Waco, TX 76702-3409
http://us.f519.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=jhicks@esc12.net telephone: 254.297.1154
http://staffweb.esc12.net/~jhicks
FAQ: Education Services for Students from Hurricane Disaster Areas in Texas Schools
This Question and Answer (Q&A) document will provide information to parents of school age children who have temporarily relocated to Texas from Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. The Q&A document provides information about how to enroll in Texas schools, health and immunization requirements, school lunch and nutrition, special education, and language instruction.
1. How soon may I enroll my child/ren in a Texas school?

2. What school records must I have to enroll my child/ren in a Texas school?

3. What health and immunizationrecords do I need to enroll mychild/ren in school while I am temporarily in Texas?

4. Which school should I send my child/ren to?

5. What services is my child eligible to receive?

6. How will my child/ren receive meals at their new school?

7. My child received special education in his/her previous school. Will he/she get those services during our temporary stay in Texas?

8. My child speaks another language at home and received help in learning English in his/her previous school. Will he/she get those services during our temporary stay in Texas?

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1. How soon may I enroll my child/ren in a Texas school?Students have the right to enroll in school immediately.
2. What school records must I have to enroll my child/ren in a Texas school?In an emergency situation such as a natural disaster, a family may not have required documents such as school records, medical records, proof of residency, or other documents. The school district will enroll the students without requiring these documents.
3. What health and immunization records do I need to enroll my child/ren in school while I am temporarily in Texas?The Texas Department of State Health Services has announced a temporary provisional enrollment for students transferring from Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama. Normal immunization requirements for children attending school in Texas are being temporarily waived for children displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Children from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama will be granted a 30-day provisional enrollment. This period may be extended depending on the hurricane recovery progress. A special form allowing the 30-day provisional enrollment will be available from the school (see attached sample).
4. Which school should I send my child/ren to?Your child/ren will be allowed to enroll immediately in the local school near where you are staying even if you do not have the papers or documents normally required. The school district will provide your child/ren with transportation to and from the local school if other children who typically attend the school also get transportation.5. What services is my child eligible to receive? Any student who is in a homeless situation is covered by the federal McKinney-Vento Act and can get free school meals. The school will make sure that students who need special education, gifted and talented programs, English language programs, or other services get those services. Additional services may be provided through the district/campus Title I program.
6. How will my child/ren receive meals at their new school?Children who are victims of disaster such as hurricanes will be categorized as children who are in homeless situations and will be eligible for free meals while attending their temporary school. Your child must be enrolled in the school district and his/her name must appear on a list compiled by the district Homeless Liaison. A list from a shelter director may also be used to identify children who are homeless but those children must also be enrolled in the district. A list will be provided to the school nutrition program for children who are eligible for free meals. No application is required to receive free meals.
7. My child received special education in his/her previous school. Will he/she get those services during our temporary stay in Texas?When enrolling your child in a Texas school, make sure you inform the school that your child previously received special education services. If possible, describe your child’s disability and the services your child received in the previous school. Examples of special education services include the following:
• accommodations or modifications in the general education classroom• resource room for subjects such as reading, language arts, English, mathematics, science, social studies• extra help with subjects through a tutorial/support class• self-contained special education classroom for a portion of the child’s day• self-contained special education classroom for the child’s entire school day
8. My child speaks another language at home and received help in learning English in his/her previous school. Will he/she get those services during our temporary stay in Texas?When enrolling your child in a Texas school, make sure you inform the school that your child received English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction or received bilingual education in English and his/her native language. Once the school is aware that your child needs assistance with language, school personnel will make the appropriate arrangements for your child to receive these services.
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Source: Texas Education Agency web page

This page last updated September 6, 2005


Texas Education Agency Hurricane Katrina Hotline 1-800-957-5109 (8:00 AM 6:00 PM daily; responses will be prompt to messages left outside of the hours of coverage)

Waco Event Cancellations

Waco Convention Center announced that the following scheduled events
for this weekend have been cancelled: Waco Wild West Century Bike Ride,
Balloon Glow, Waco Cultural Arts Fest, Sickle Cell Banquet.

NOTICE Regarding HURRICANE RITA evacuees

Subject: Waco Relief Effort update

Status Update as of September 22nd at 2:30pm from
Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management

NOTICE Regarding HURRICANE RITA evacuees: The City of Waco has opened five shelters to receive people from the Gulf Coast of Texas and is
addressing the special needs of these evacuees. In addition to City recreation
staff, the American Red Cross is providing food, staffing and support needs.
The State of Texas has indicated that everyone should be out of the
impacted areas and in shelters by 6:00pm today (Thursday).
Information to help evacuees from the Texas Gulf Coast find a place to
stay can be found on the City's web site or the Convention & Visitors Center
website at www.wacocvb.com .
The Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management Office (EOC) is now in 24
hour activation. It is in communication with State and all other county
emergency management offices via conference calls each day. As part of the
emergency response plan for special need evacuees, Waco Transit is providing
required transportation.


People who need sheltering must first call 254-750-5911 to receive
current information on availability of space before going to any of these
shelters.

Locations of local shelters:
Bledsoe Miller Recreation Center - 300 MLK Jr. Drive - 750-8684
South Waco Recreation Center - 2815 Speight - 750-8650
Dewey Recreation Center - 925 N. 9th St. - 750-8677
Cameron Park Club House - 2601 Sturgis
Harrison Community Center - 772-9317
The Sul Ross Community Center and Multipurpose Center are also being
used for specific special needs.

The South Waco Library will remain open until 9pm Thursday and Friday
nights to allow evacuees who are being sheltered in the adjacent South Waco
Recreation Center to have access to their computers and other
resources.

Green Family Camp in Bruceville is receiving evacuees and as of this
update had 100 evacuees and a potential of receiving 200 more as referred by
Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management. We understand that Latham
Springs Camp is full.

Evacuees who have horses to board can call Hyde Markum at 254-723-4011
or Dave Stewart at 254-709-2196.

Waco-McLennan County Public Health District staff along with Waco Fire
Rescue are visiting each of the shelters to attend to and monitor
special health and medical needs of evacuees.
Evacuees who are bringing their dogs or cats that need to have them
boarded while staying at a shelter can call 752-3369.

The Texas Highway Department is working with local communities on
routes out of the impacted areas. Road signs have been placed along routes
showing the capacity of a community to provide sheltering. As a community's
sheltering capacity is met, evacuees are advised, via road signs, to continue on
the route until the next community is reached.

Waco Convention Center announced that the following scheduled events
for this weekend have been cancelled: Waco Wild West Century Bike Ride,
Balloon Glow, Waco Cultural Arts Fest, Sickle Cell Banquet.

Specific Need Request: Robinson Garden Drive Apartments has an
immediate need for 22 air mattresses to use for Hurricane Rita evacuees staying
temporarily at their facility. If you can help call 662-3550.

At this time no resources or requests for specific donations have been
requested to support the relief efforts of Hurricane Rita. As the
needs arise, they will be passed on via these media updates and other
releases.

As the direction of travel of the storm is determined, citizens are
asked to be prepared for sustained winds from 35-60 miles an hour and heavy
rain.
City officials continue to prepare for disruption of electrical power,
downed trees, flooded streets or other issues. Essential things to
have in an event of such a storm are: Flashlight, pre-cooked food, and a
battery powered radio or tv. The safest place to be is in your home, away from
windows if the storm is blowing strong. Never attempt to drive or
cross through moving water that may be deeper than it looks. Children should
be told not to play in creeks or places where water flows.

Mayor Virginia DuPuy has visited each of the active shelters and
extended a Waco welcome to evacuees and assured them of the City's commitment to
provide for their immediate needs. She plans to revisit the shelters
several times throughout the weekend.
The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and other
local attractions are offering special discount admission tickets for use by
Hurricane Rita evacuees to help them enjoy their time in Waco.

Central United Methodist Church has accepted eight evacuees, through
their membership, to shelter. They are not accepting any more for sheltering.
Waco Christian Fellowship reports that they are sheltering 48 residents
from a retirement home along with their 12 staff members. They also still
have 29 Katrina evacuees.
The Greater Robinson Relief Center is temporarily sheltering 25 people
from Hurricane Rita.

Waco ISD reports one new student for a total of 66 students, Midway has
26, and Robinson has 2.

Over 100 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina visited the "One Stop Shop"
provided by The City of Waco and Waco-McLennan County Emergency
Management at the Waco Convention Center on Wednesday. Evacuees were able to talk
in person with representatives from a number of federal, state and local
agencies to help them reestablish their lives.

The Salvation Army canteens not deployed in Louisiana and Mississippi
are being prepared for deployment along the Texas coast. Cash donations
are needed and can be made by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY or online at
www.salvationarmyusa.org , or at the
local Salvation Army location at 500 S. 4th Street in Waco. Please designate
your gift for "Disaster Katrina" or "Rita".

A transcript of this report and all other daily updates along with
information and other local and national resource information for help
are being added regularly to the City's web site. By going to
www.waco-texas.com you will find several links for information on the communities efforts and the nation. Citizen volunteers are encouraged to print out these
resource web pages to provide to evacuees that they are serving and who do not
have web access. The city will be happy to provide as many printed copies
as may be needed by calling 750-5636.

Anyone who comes into our community that needs sheltering, please call
750-5911.

This update is as of September 22nd at 2:30pm. These updates will
continue to be issued daily until all known evacuees are placed in permanent
housing and no locally operated shelters are in operation. To submit
information to be considered for these reports email Larryh@ci.waco.tx.us or call
750-5636 and leave the desired information.
###

Waco Area Status Update as of September 20th and 21st

Status Update as of September 20th at 2:30pm from
Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management

Central United Methodist Church reports they now have a total of nine
and they are still working on getting them properly placed in more
permanent housing.
Waco Christian Fellowship reports the same 27 but are making plans to
move them in to more permanent housing soon.

We are not aware of any other churches or groups providing sheltering
of evacuees at this time. All are providing long term housing for those
who have come in to our community.

Waco ISD reports 61 students enrolled, Midway has 22, Robinson has 4.

*** IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL evacuees:
Wednesday, September 21st, from 9am to 9pm, the City of Waco and
Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management officials are providing a
"One Stop Shop" of information for local evacuees at the Waco Convention
Center.
Evacuees who need assistance in receiving state and federal government
benefits or have other questions can find all these agencies
represented in one room during these hours. Arrangements have been made for the
following agencies to be present:

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, Waco Transit, FEMA, Caritas,
American Red Cross, Waco Housing Authority, Waco McLennan co. Public
Health District, Salvation Army, Social Security, HOT Workforce, U.S. Postal
Service, Texas Health & Human Services, Texas DPS, Heart of Texas
Region MHMR, Heart of Texas Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging, Texas
Health & Human Services office of Eligibility Services, EOAC, McLennan
County Welfare Dept. Indigent Health Care, Veterans Affairs, and Adult
Protective Services of the State of Texas, Waco ISD, Foster Family,
Texas Department of Insurance, Child Care Licensing, and Mission Waco. Other
agencies have indicated a desire to attend and participate.

The Greater Robinson Relief Center reports they are not housing anyone
at this time in their facility.

Louisiana residents who need copies of their birth certificates can
apply at the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District. Fees will be waved
and Louisiana officials will over night them for free. Call 750-5468 for
assistance.

The Waco Tribune Herald still has crayons, notebooks and other school
supplies available for area students. Call 757-5791 to inquire.

The United Methodist Church is sponsoring a relief drop on Friday, Sept
23rd and Saturday, Sept 24th at the old Target Store on Hwy 6 and Sanger
from 9am-3pm. Items collected will go to the Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin,
Louisiana for distribution. Items they need included: Hygiene kits,
Bottled Water, Blankets, Work Gloves, Chain saws, Heavy brooms, shovels and
other items needed to clean up. No clothing is needed at this time. Please
pack the items as much as you can in boxes for packing on the truck.
Volunteers who want to help can contact Rev. Bob Maxwell at bnfmaxwell2@msn.com
.

Salvation Army Urgent Needs: Urgent need for donations of good, clean
furniture, appliances, pots, pans, dishes, and other items needed to
set up housekeeping. Take items to 500 S. 4th Street or call 753-2043 for
pickup. No clothing is needed.

Time Warner Cable is offering two months of free standard cable service
and no installation service on phone service to identifiable Katrina
evacuees. They have also provided free services to several shelters.

Update regarding potential impact from Hurricane Rita:
The Waco McLennan County Public Health District along with the
Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management office has identified Special Need shelters as may be needed to respond to persons coming in to our area as hurricane
Rita approaches the Gulf coast. In addition to the daily conference calls
with the State office of Emergency Management regarding hurricane Katrina,
another daily call will take place dealing with Hurricane Rita. The
State is reviewing the capacity to shelter throughout Texas if the coast line
near Houston is impacted. By 2pm today the State activated its full
Emergency plan for responding to hurricanes that hit our coast line. The Waco
area remains prepared to receive evacuees as directed by state officials.
Depending on the path of the storm and where it impacts the coastline,
decisions will be made to properly respond to the needs of displaced
victims. Some people may come into our area as they voluntarily leave
their homes. A "Gulf Coast Evacuees" button is now on the City's web site
as well as the Convention and Visitors site to help people locate hotel
rooms as they move into our area until the storm passes.
Anyone who comes into our community that needs sheltering, please call
750-5911.

A transcript of this report and all other daily updates along with
information and other local and national resource information for help
are being added regularly to the City's web site. By going to
www.waco-texas.com you will find several links for information on the communities efforts and the nation. Citizen volunteers are encouraged to print out these
resource web pages to provide to evacuees that they are serving and who do not
have web access. The city will be happy to provide as many printed copies
as may be needed by calling 750-5636.

This update is as of September 20th at 2:30pm. These updates will
continue to be issued daily until all known evacuees are placed in permanent
housing and no locally operated shelters are in operation. To submit
information to be considered for these reports email Larryh@ci.waco.tx.us or call
750-5636 and leave the desired information.
###

---

Status Update as of September 21st at 2:30pm from
Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management
NOTICE Regarding HURRICANE RITA evacuees: The City of Waco has opened a
temporary shelter in the Bledsoe-Miller Recreation Center at 300 MLK
Drive to receive people from the Gulf Coast of Texas and is prepared to open
others as the need arises. The American Red Cross is assisting with
additional support needs. Most will only be here until the storm passes
and will want to return as soon as possible. Because all hotel rooms are
booked throughout most of Texas, the local hotels along with the Convention
and Visitors Information Center at I-35 and MLK (near the Texas Ranger
Museum) have information and maps to help direct anyone entering our area to
find the shelter that is receiving evacuees. Information to help evacuees
from the Texas Gulf Coast find a place to stay can be found on the City's
website or the Convention & Visitors Center website at www.wacocvb.com
. The Waco-McLennan County office of
Emergency Management is in communication with State and all other county
emergency management offices via conference calls currently being held three
times a day. Waco Transit also has the sheltering information to give anyone
coming in to Waco via Greyhound Bus.

At this time no resources have been requested to support the relief
efforts of Hurricane Rita. As the needs arise, they will be passed on via these
media updates and other releases.

As of this update, it is not clear where the storm will travel however
Waco area residents should be prepared for the aftermath of Hurricane Rita
to pass through our area sometime late Saturday or early Sunday morning.
Current estimates indicate we could have sustained winds from 40-60
miles an hour and heavy rain. City officials are prepared to deal with
disruption of electrical power, downed trees, flooded streets or other issues.
Essential things to have in an event of such a storm are: Flashlight,
pre-cooked food, and a battery powered radio or tv. The safest place
to be is in your home, away from windows if the storm is blowing strong.
Never attempt to drive or cross through moving water that may be deeper than
it looks. Children should be told not to play in creeks or places where
water flows.

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and other
local attractions are offering special discount admission tickets for use by
Hurricane Rita evacuees to help them enjoy their time in Waco.

Hurricane Katrina update:

A call to Central United Methodist Church revealed that the seven
remaining people they have been sheltering have moved to Waco Christian
Fellowship. These seven are expected to be in permanent housing by Monday. Central
UMC no longer has any one at their facility.

Waco Christian Fellowship reports that they have placed several people
in permanent housing reducing their count to 17 but have now received ten
more for a total as of this update of 27 being sheltered. We are not aware
of any other churches or groups providing sheltering of evacuees at this time.
All are providing long term housing for those who have come in to our
community.

Waco ISD reports four new students for 65 students, Midway now has 26,
and Robinson has 4.

*** IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL evacuees:
The City of Waco and Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management
office's "One Stop Shop" of information for local evacuees at the Waco
Convention Center will remain open today (Wednesday) until 9PM. Evacuees who need
assistance in receiving state and federal government benefits or have
other questions can find all these agencies represented in one room during
these hours. Arrangements have been made for the following agencies to be
present:

U.S. CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SERVICES, WACO TRANSIT, FEMA, CARITAS,
AMERICAN RED CROSS, WACO HOUSING AUTHORITY, WACO MCLENNAN CO. PUBLIC
HEALTH DISTRICT, SALVATION ARMY, SOCIAL SECURITY, HEART OF TEXAS WORKFORCE,
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, TEXAS HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY, HEART OF TEXAS REGION MHMR, HEART OF TEXAS COUNCIL OF
GOVERNMENTS AREA AGENCY ON AGING, TEXAS HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE OF
ELIGIBILITY SERVICES, EOAC, McLENNAN COUNTY WELFARE DEPT. INDIGENT HEALTH CARE,
VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND ADULT PROTECTION SERVICES OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. Other
agencies have indicated a desire to attend and participate.

The Greater Robinson Relief Center has had a number of calls but as of
this report do not have any one in their facility.
United Way of Waco-McLennan County reports the following agency
responses that have happened that should be acknowledged (as of Sept 21st)
* American Red Cross (RoseMary Mayes): Sent volunteers to Lousiana
before hurricane hit; their four offices - Waco, Bryan, Temple, and
Kileen - have opened service centers and/or sheleters; have documented 2,444
cases and dispersed approximately $1,400,000
* The Arc (Tom Pearson): offering after school daycare to student
evacuees with developmental disabilities. Adult evacuees with cognitive
disabilities are invited to participate in The Arc's various programs
for adults
* Boys and Girls Clubs of Waco (Tina King, Hope Velasco): secured
sponsorships if needed for after-school and summer care for hurricane
victims
* Camp Fire (Deral Henderson): working to assimilate evacuee children
into local schools - especially Kendrick Elementary; has 10 children in
after-school care; providing counseling
* Caritas of Waco (Kenneth Moerbe): supporting local shelters with
goods; 35 evacuee families have come in for emergency assistance;
dispersed approximately 100,000 pounds of items through Gifts in Kind program to
35 agencies aiding hurricane evacuees
* Central Texas Youth Services (Keith Wallace): have four beds
reserved for children and youth who are victims of the hurricane;
providing counseling, information and referral services to families in Central
Texas who were displaced or affected
* Compassion Ministries (Jill McCall): provided clothing and bedding
to three affected families
* Family Abuse Center (Deidra Simmons): provided thrift store
vouchers; offering counseling and residential services; six shelters in
the hurricane affected area are closed, so Deidra is expecting people to
relocate to the Waco shelter
* Family Counseling and Children's Services (Robert Ward): counseled
two families indirectly impacted by the hurricane; ready to receive not
only hurricane victims but also those experiencing secondary trauma
* Family Practice Center (Clement Milam): set aside appointment times
for evacuees; have provided 60 patient visits
* The Freeman Center (Jonathan Trower, Board President): offering
counseling; opened transitional housing to one affected family
* Girl Scouts - Bluebonnet Council (Beth Vivio): girls are doing
fundraisers to help local agencies with their relief efforts; prepared
to offer their camp as shelter if needed.
* Kids & Company (Stacy Garvin): designated funds for tuition
assistance, and have offered at least one evacuee family enrollment and
tuition assistance.
* MHMR - HOT Region (Louis McGowan): screened several victims, two of
whom are receiving services and have been placed in their apartment
complex
* Salvation Army (Larry Root): Disaster Canteen was deployed to
hurricane affected areas; provide prescription assistance, food,
clothing, gas for job search, transportation to reunite families, household
items, rent deposits; 35 families (120 individuals) have received services
locally
* YMCA (Hyden Hunter): opened their Doris Miller Branch facility for
evacuees to shower, exercise, etc. for no charge

A transcript of this report and all other daily updates along with
information and other local and national resource information for help
are being added regularly to the City's web site. By going to
www.waco-texas.com you will find several links for information on the communities efforts and the nation. Citizen volunteers are encouraged to print out these
resource web pages to provide to evacuees that they are serving and who do not
have web access. The city will be happy to provide as many printed copies
as may be needed by calling 750-5636.

Anyone who comes into our community that needs sheltering, please call
750-5911.
This update is as of September 21st at 2:30pm. These updates will
continue to be issued daily until all known evacuees are placed in permanent
housing and no locally operated shelters are in operation. To submit
information to be considered for these reports email Larryh@ci.waco.tx.us or call
750-5636 and leave the desired information.
###

Cows in Bellmead.  

Waco Cultural Arts Festival this weekend

CANCELLATION DUE TO RITA We regret to announce that the festival has been cancelled until further notice due to Hurricane Rita.

More Information can be found on their website or by calling 772-2698.

Waco Area Hurricane Relief Update 9-17 and 9-19

Subject: Status Update as of September 17th at 2:00pm from



Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management

Waco Relief Effort status update as of September 17th at 2:00pm

As of today (Saturday) at 2:00 pm, we have not received any updates from any

of the churches providing temporary shelter for evacuees. Central United

Methodist Church last reported on Friday that they had 11 individuals in

their shelter. Waco Christian Fellowship last reported sheltering 23

individuals. A meeting will be held Tuesday, September 20th at 7pm in their

sanctuary at 405 Estates Drive, for people or churches wanting to provide

various levels of support for these evacuees as they are moved into

permanent housing. For more information call 772-9768.


Two FEMA representatives will be available throughout the weekend in the

local office of Waco McLennan County Emergency Management to answer

questions about requested FEMA processes as relating to individual

applicants. Call 750-5911 or the national FEMA Help line, 1-800-621-3362.

The City can now aid faith based groups who are paying rent for evacuees for

possible reimbursement. Certain requirements must be met. Please call

750-5911 for details.


Any other churches or individuals who are providing temporary sheltering for

hurricane Katrina evacuees are asked to please contact Emergency Management

at 750-5911 so we can properly register and provide for their needs and any

additional resources that become available.


Several other churches throughout the community are providing apartments and

resources to the families they will support for varying lengths of time.


Notice regarding weekend updates: Only information voluntarily submitted by

12 Noon each day to the email or phone contacts at the end of this report

will be considered for inclusion in Saturday and Sunday updates.


The Greater Robinson Relief Center has not reported to us regarding the

receiving of any evacuees for their facility. reports that all most all of

the rooms in the former elementary school have been adopted by churches and

individuals and are set up as "private-efficiency apartments". As of Friday

at 2:30pm, no one has arrived to be housed there. People interested in

locating in this facility should contact Jo Schlottmann at 662-9941 or

662-3188.


Donations and Resources:

Cash donations are still one of the easiest ways to help. They are being

accepted at the Waco Water Office at 425 Franklin Ave., and area Extraco

Banks. These funds will be given to American Red Cross to be dispersed as

they see fit. Persons wanting to donate items are asked to contact Caritas,

Salvation Army and other local agencies to see what specific items they are

in need of.


Robinson Garden Apartments needs the following furniture for evacuees:

3- children's beds, 3-adult beds, 3-living room suits, and 3-tv's. Call

662-3550 for more information .


A transcript of this report and all other daily updates along with

information and other local and national resource information for help are

being added regularly to the City's web site. By going to www.waco-texas.com

you will find several links for information on the communities efforts and

the nation. Citizen volunteers are encouraged to print out these resource

web pages to provide to evacuees that they are serving and who do not have

web access. The city will be happy to provide as many printed copies as may

be needed by calling 750-5636.


Anyone who comes into our community that needs sheltering, please call

750-5911.

This update is as of September 17th at 2:00pm. These updates will continue

to be issued daily until all known evacuees are placed in permanent housing

and no locally operated shelters are in operation. To submit information to

be considered for these reports email Larryh@ci.waco.tx.us or call 750-5636

and leave the desired information.


Status Update as of September 18th at 2:30pm from Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management.

As of today (Sunday) at 2:30 pm, we have not received any updates from any of the churches providing temporary shelter for evacuees.


Two FEMA representatives will be available throughout the weekend in the local office of Waco McLennan County Emergency Management to answer questions about requested FEMA processes as relating to individual applicants. Call 750-5911 or the national FEMA Help line, 1-800-621-3362.

The City can now aid faith based groups who are paying rent for evacuees for possible reimbursement. Certain requirements must be met. Please call

750-5911 for details.

Any other churches or individuals who are providing temporary sheltering for hurricane Katrina evacuees are asked to please contact Emergency Management at 750-5911 so we can properly register and provide for their needs and any additional resources that become available.

Wednesday, September 21st, from 9am to 9pm, FEMA and Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management officials will be on hand at the Waco Convention Center to provide a "one stop shop" of information for local evacuees who need assistance in receiving state and federal government benefits. Arrangements have been made for the following agencies to also be present:

U.S. CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SERVICES, WACO TRANSIT, FEMA, CARITAS, AMERICAN RED CROSS, WACO HOUSING AUTHORITY, WACO MCLENNAN CO. PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT, SALVATION ARMY, SOCIAL SECURITY, HEART OF TEXAS WORKFORCE, and U.S. POSTAL SERVICE.


A State of Texas emergency management website has also been set up to serve as a source of information and assist local government with relief efforts:

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/katrina_public_assistance.htm


Notice regarding weekend updates: Only information voluntarily submitted by

12 Noon each day to the email or phone contacts at the end of this report will be considered for inclusion in Saturday and Sunday updates.


As most of the active shelters across the state move evacuees into more permanent housing the Texas office of Emergency Management did not schedule or hold a daily conference call with all Emergency Management offices throughout the state on Sunday.


The Greater Robinson Relief Center has not reported to us regarding the receiving of any evacuees for their facility. People interested in locating in this facility should contact Jo Schlottmann at 662-9941 or 662-3188.


Anyone who comes into our community that needs sheltering, please call 750-5911.

This update is as of September 18th at 2:30pm. These updates will continue to be issued daily until all known evacuees are placed in permanent housing and no locally operated shelters are in operation. To submit information to be considered for these reports email Larryh@ci.waco.tx.us or call 750-5636 and leave the desired information.

---

Status Update as of September 19th at 2:30pm from

Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management

A call to Central United Methodist Church revealed that of the two families

they were sheltering over the weekend, one family is on their way to San

Antonio to stay with their mother and the last remaining family they have

been sheltering will be moved into a duplex on Tuesday.

Waco Christian Fellowship reported that over the weekend they had as many as

29 evacuees sheltered in their facility. Six were placed in more permanent

housing and they have received four new people for a total of 27 as of this

update. They indicate that applications are in the process for apartments

for these people.

We are not aware of any other churches or groups providing sheltering of

evacuees at this time. All are providing long term housing for those who

have come in to our community.

Waco ISD reports 61 students enrolled, Midway has 22, Robinson has 4.


*** IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL evacuees:

Wednesday, September 21st, from 9am to 9pm, the City of Waco and Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management officials are providing a "One Stop Shop" of information for local evacuees at the Waco Convention Center.

Evacuees who need assistance in receiving state and federal government benefits or have other questions can find all these agencies represented in one room during these hours. Arrangements have been made for the following

agencies to be present:

U.S. CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SERVICES, WACO TRANSIT, FEMA, CARITAS, AMERICAN RED CROSS, WACO HOUSING AUTHORITY, WACO MCLENNAN CO. PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT, SALVATION ARMY, SOCIAL SECURITY, HEART OF TEXAS WORKFORCE, U.S.

POSTAL SERVICE, TEXAS HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, HEART OF TEXAS REGION MHMR, HEART OF TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS AREA AGENCY ON AGING, TEXAS HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE OF ELIGIBILITY

SERVICES, EOAC, McLENNAN COUNTY WELFARE DEPT. INDIGENT HEALTH CARE, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND ADULT PROTECTION SERVICES OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. Other agencies have indicated a desire to attend and participate.


The City has prepared a flyer in pdf format promoting the Wednesday "One Stop Shop" that can be printed and distributed to evacuees by community support people. www.waco-texas.com .


The Greater Robinson Relief Center reports they are housing two people in their facility and may receive others later today. Those will be reported in Tuesday's update.


One individual need: A former teacher in WISD who had recently moved to New Orleans has found her way back to Waco and friends have indicated that she could use a queen sized mattress. Contact Lindsay Woods at lindsayrosewoods@gmail.com if you can help.


A transcript of this report and all other daily updates along with

information and other local and national resource information for help are

being added regularly to the City's web site. By going to www.waco-texas.com

you will find several links for information on the communities efforts and

the nation. Citizen volunteers are encouraged to print out these resource

web pages to provide to evacuees that they are serving and who do not have

web access. The city will be happy to provide as many printed copies as may

be needed by calling 750-5636.


Anyone who comes into our community that needs sheltering, please call

750-5911.

This update is as of September 19th at 2:30pm. These updates will continue

to be issued daily until all known evacuees are placed in permanent housing

and no locally operated shelters are in operation. To submit information to

be considered for these reports email Larryh@ci.waco.tx.us or call 750-5636

and leave the desired information.

###

Waco Area Hurricane Relief Update 9-15 and 9-16

Status Update as of September 15th at 2:30pm from
Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management

As of today (Thursday) at 2:30 pm, Central United Methodist Church is
sheltering 11 individuals in their shelter. A FEMA representative has
been at the sight and is providing assistance in establishing permanent
housing, probably by Monday or Tuesday. One other person should be in an
apartment by tomorrow (Friday).
Waco Christian Fellowship is sheltering 23 individuals. Six have moved
to apartments. They are expecting six new people, possibly tonight. A
meeting will beheld Tuesday, September 20th at 7pm in their sanctuary at 405
Estates Drive, for people or churches wanting to provide various levels of
support for these evacuees as they are moved into permanent housing. For more
information call 772-9768.

** The City can now aid faith based groups who are paying rent for
evacuees for possible reimbursement. Certain requirements must be met. Please
call 750-5911 for details.

Any other churches or individuals who are providing temporary
sheltering for hurricane Katrina evacuees are asked to please contact Emergency
Management at 750-5911 so we can properly register and provide for their needs and
any additional resources that become available.

Parkside Village apartments has no new residents. They no longer have
any needs or requests. As evacuees establish residency in our community
we will no longer seek to identify specific apartment complexes where
these victims reside.
Several other churches throughout the community are providing
apartments and resources to the families they will support for varying lengths of
time.

Two FEMA representatives will be available throughout the weekend in
the local office of Waco McLennan County Emergency Management to answer
questions about requested FEMA processes as relating to individual
applicants. Call 750-5911 or the national FEMA Help line,
1-800-621-3362.

The Family Practice Center has special appointment times set aside for
hurricane Katrina evacuees who need medical attention. Call 750-8200.

Waco Police officers gathered personal uniforms and old gear to take to
police departments in flooded cities. The trip was scheduled but just
prior to leaving were informed they had an overstock.

School Enrollment:
As of today, Waco ISD reports five new students have enrolled bringing
the total to 59 children enrolled in Waco schools, and Midway ISD reports
four more students for a total of 20 in their system. Any other school
districts with students enrolled should report that information to the city by
calling 750-5636 to include in this report. No new information has been
reported from Baylor, MCC or TSTC .

The Greater Robinson Relief Center reports that all most all of the
rooms in the former elementary school have been adopted by churches and
individuals and are set up as "private-efficiency apartments". As of this update,
no one has arrived to be housed there. People interested in locating in
this facility should contact Jo Schlottmann at 662-9941 or 662-3188.

Donations and Resources:
Cash donations are still one of the easiest ways to help. They are
being accepted at the Waco Water Office at 425 Franklin Ave., and area
Extraco Banks. These funds will be given to American Red Cross to be dispersed
as they see fit. Persons wanting to donate items are asked to contact
Caritas, Salvation Army and other local agencies to see what specific items they
are in need of.

A transcript of this report and all other daily updates along with
information and other local and national resource information for help
are being added regularly to the City's web site. By going to
www.waco-texas.com you will find several links for information on the communities efforts and the nation. Citizen volunteers are
encouraged to print out these resource web pages to provide to evacuees that they are
serving and who do not have web access. The city will be happy to
provide as many printed copies as may be needed by calling 750-5636.

Anyone who comes into our community that needs sheltering, please call
750-5911. This update is as of September 15th at 2:30pm. These updates will
continue to be issued daily until all known evacuees are placed in permanent
housing and no locally operated shelters are in operation. ###

Status Update as of September 16th at 2:30pm from
Waco-McLennan County Emergency Management

As of today (Friday) at 2:30 pm, Central United Methodist Church is
sheltering 11 individuals in their shelter. No change has been
identified at Waco Christian Fellowship. They last reported sheltering 23
individuals. Six have moved to apartments. They were expecting six new people,
possibly Thursday tonight. A meeting will be held Tuesday, September 20th at
7pm in their sanctuary at 405 Estates Drive, for people or churches wanting to
provide various levels of support for these evacuees as they are moved
into permanent housing. For more information call 772-9768.

Two FEMA representatives will be available throughout the weekend in
the local office of Waco McLennan County Emergency Management to answer
questions about requested FEMA processes as relating to individual
applicants. Call 750-5911 or the national FEMA Help line,
1-800-621-3362.
The City can now aid faith based groups who are paying rent for
evacuees for possible reimbursement. Certain requirements must be met. Please call
750-5911 for details.

Any other churches or individuals who are providing temporary
sheltering for hurricane Katrina evacuees are asked to please contact Emergency
Management at 750-5911 so we can properly register and provide for their needs and
any additional resources that become available.

Several other churches throughout the community are providing
apartments and resources to the families they will support for varying lengths of
time.

Notice regarding weekend updates: Only information voluntarily
submitted by 12 Noon each day to the email or phone contacts at the end of this
report will be considered for inclusion in Saturday and Sunday updates.

School Enrollment:
As of today, Waco ISD reports five new students have enrolled bringing
the total to 59 children enrolled in Waco schools, and Midway ISD reports
two more students for a total of 22 in their system. Robinson reports they
have two students in their system. Vanguard has one student enrolled. Any
other school districts with students enrolled should report that information
to the city by calling 750-5636 to include in this report. No new
information has been reported from Baylor, MCC or TSTC .

The Greater Robinson Relief Center reports that all most all of the
rooms in the former elementary school have been adopted by churches and
individuals and are set up as "private-efficiency apartments". As of Friday at
2:30pm, no one has arrived to be housed there. People interested in locating
in this facility should contact Jo Schlottmann at 662-9941 or 662-3188.

From the local American Red Cross office: They have a new partner
willing to offer evacuees help with prescription glasses and eye exams. Contact
the local Red Cross office at 776-8362.

Churches are invited to participate in The Noah Project that was
created to coordinate efforts of area congregations that will directly help
victims of hurricane Katrina. For more information call Jim Ellor at 710-4439.

From Planned Parenthood of Central Texas: Free for women and men
displaced by hurricane Katrina: birth control, emergency contraception, STD
testing/treatment, gynecological/reproductive health services, birth
control pills and shots. Louisiana Medicaid Accepted. Call 759-5762.

Donations and Resources:
Cash donations are still one of the easiest ways to help. They are
being accepted at the Waco Water Office at 425 Franklin Ave., and area
Extraco Banks. These funds will be given to American Red Cross to be dispersed
as they see fit. Persons wanting to donate items are asked to contact
Caritas, Salvation Army and other local agencies to see what specific items they
are in need of.

A transcript of this report and all other daily updates along with
information and other local and national resource information for help
are being added regularly to the City's web site. By going to
www.waco-texas.com you will find several links for information on the communities efforts and the nation. Citizen volunteers are
encouraged to print out these resource web pages to provide to evacuees that they are
serving and who do not have web access. The city will be happy to
provide as many printed copies as may be needed by calling 750-5636.

Anyone who comes into our community that needs sheltering, please call
750-5911.

This update is as of September 16th at 2:30pm. These updates will
continue to be issued daily until all known evacuees are placed in permanent
housing and no locally operated shelters are in operation. To submit
information to be considered for these reports email Larryh@ci.waco.tx.us
or call 750-5636 and leave the desired
information.

Larry W. Holze
Director - Municipal Information
Public Information Officer
City of Waco
(254)750-5636
Larryh@ci.waco.tx.us